Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Mar a dúradh níos luaithe, tá súil againn gurb í seo an uair dheireanach a bheidh orainn déileáil le scéimeanna cosúil leo seo mar gheall ar Covid-19. As was mentioned previously, we all are hoping that this will be the last time that we have to deal with these Covid-related measures. Hopefully, we really are seeing the back of Covid-19.

This Bill will give legislative effect to the changes to certain Covid support schemes announced by the Government in December 2021 and January 2022. They were the changes announced in response to the most recent period of public health restrictions. The Bill deals with the changes to the CRSS, the EWSS, tax debt warehousing and so forth, but it also provides for the introduction of a new measure, the pandemic special recognition payment or what is more commonly known as the Covid bonus, which is what I wish to focus on. Its introduction is most certainly welcome. We all have recognised for a long time how difficult it has been for front-line healthcare workers during the pandemic. At a time people did not know much about, or have much information on, Covid-19, those workers were very much on the front line.

There has been concern about the scope of who qualifies and the fact that certain sectors are not included. People feel that it is too narrow. There is ongoing uncertainty about who will meet the criteria for this award. All Members will have been contacted about this by different people in their constituencies. As to the payment itself and how it will work, the Minister outlined that the Bill provides for an exemption from income tax, USC and PRSI in respect of the recognition payment made to specified categories of front-line healthcare workers up to a maximum of €1,000 per individual. However, as I said, many who worked on the front line appear to have been left behind. Family carers have been to the forefront in this pandemic and should be included in this payment. I have spoken to many carers who are bitterly disappointed that they appear to have been forgotten. As Ms Catherine Cox of Family Carers Ireland pointed out in a letter to The Irish Timeslast week, carers:

...went above and beyond the call of duty to protect the most vulnerable, and this risk must be rewarded. Over the course of the past two years, family carers saw services and supports for their loved ones depleted and, in many cases, eradicated. As a direct consequence, the State saved money.

Ms Cox contends that family carers save the State in excess of €20 billion every year. At present, there are 116,000 carers in receipt of the carer's support grant.

Many Members will have dealt with family carers during the pandemic in the past two years and we saw how they were affected. They experienced reduced respite hours and limited access to day care centres. I dealt with people whose children were unable to attend their schools. That had an impact. As a result, it increased the workload for all family carers. It also meant great hardship for all the families affected. The carer's role is 24-7, and, in some cases, it means exactly that because the carer has to stay awake during the night to mind the child. The carers had hoped to be recognised through this recognition payment.

Tá a fhios againn ar fad gur fhulaing na daoine is leochailí inár gcuid sochaí go hollmhór le linn na paindéime. Is dócha go bhfuil na daoine atá ag tabhairt aire dóibh lá i ndiaidh lae, daoine nach raibh seirbhísí acu le linn na paindéime mar gheall go raibh ar na seirbhísí sin dúnadh síos, cineál brónach nó curtha as nach bhfuil siad chun an €1,000 seo a fháil.

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